N.C. State could make draft history in '14

Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY SportsLefties like Carlos Rodon are rare, and that's why he is early favorite to go No. 1 in 2014.

The 2013 draft has come and gone, and now scouting directors and area scouts turn their full attention to the 2014 class. Obviously a lot can change over a full year, but the folks that I've had the chance to talk to have an optimistic view of the 2014 class.

"On paper, it's a much better crop (than 2013)," an NL scout said. "It's not the strongest group of advanced bats again, but there's so much more depth than there has been the past two years, particularly with the high school hitters and even more particularly up the middle. This year, other than J.P. Crawford, there isn't one high school shortstop I would have taken in the first round. Next year, there's about four or five that I'd consider. It's all speculation, but I feel much more confident about getting a quality player this year than the last two."

There are several intriguing storylines to follow until June, but here are three of the more compelling ones to follow over the draft year.

A chance for history

There have been several schools to produce multiple first-round picks in a year. We've even seen a school produce two of the top three selections in 2011, when Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer went first and third in 2011 coming out of UCLA. But in 2014, we may see something we've never -- and may never again -- seen before; the first two selections in a draft coming from the same school.

To continue reading this article you must be an Insider

Insider

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Keith Law

Keith Law joined ESPN.com in June 2006 as the lead baseball analyst for Scouts Inc., covering the majors, minors and amateurs. Before joining ESPN, Law spent 4½ years with the Toronto Blue Jays as a special assistant to the general manager, and was previously a writer for Baseball Prospectus. He graduated from Harvard College and holds an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon.